Dec 21st

It can be exciting to plan an overseas business trip, but it can also involve a greater degree of planning than domestic travel. From making sure that your passport is valid for long enough to making sure the visas arrive in time, getting enough cash to see you through the trip (countries such as Germany aren’t very comfortable with cards), and making sure you have all your shots, there’s a lot of work involved. What you don’t need is to add a bunch of avoidable problems to your list. What follows are services for the international business traveler that help make life easier.

Get a weather app; don’t leave without testing it

While it can be hard to keep track of the weather in an unfamiliar country, it isn’t an option to go and unprepared. You wouldn’t want to show up late for a meeting in a strange land. While plenty of apps promise weather information, many fail to be useful. They may pass off old reports as current, or be erratic when it comes to notifications. It’s important to test an app that you will rely on far away from home. Weather Live Free is a top weather app for Android phones, and specializes in accurate, up-to-the-minute weather updates for locations around the world.

Get a map; don’t forget to test it offline

Google Maps is very good, but often needs both a data connection and GPS to work well. What Google Maps does allow downloads for offline use, it isn’t a user-friendly experience to use the product. Competing products such as Maps.me and Trioso, on the other hand, are built from the ground up for off-line use, and offer excellent detail and reliability. Here, too, it’s important to test before you leave.

Exercise; don’t stay in the gym

If you don’t want your exercise schedule to fall apart when you’re overseas, you can do better than to hit the hotel gym. It can be a far better idea to jog outside. If this sounds like a good plan, WalkJogRun is the app to rely on. It has thousands of cities on its database, and uses accurate GPS to find the best and the safest routes for some outdoor exercise. Taking it outside can be a good way to see the city that you’re in.

Try exotic foods; don’t fly blind

You may know everything about the Chinese menu at your local take-out. It’s a wide world out there, however, and you want to know what every exotic dish that you encounter really is. If you feel that exploring new palates is one of the best parts of business travel, the Foodspotting and Chefs Feed apps are for you. With detailed photos and explanations of foods from cuisines around the world, you’ll get a good idea of whether you should try an item or not. These apps can also be a good idea if you need to watch out for an allergy.

Spend your money; don’t risk overpaying

While you may be on an expense account when you travel overseas, you still don’t want to invite criticism by paying outrageous prices. The Oanda currency converter app is an excellent addition to your phone, offering conversions for nearly 200 different currencies. The option to turn on Interbank rates on is of the top attractions of the app. It’s something that is rarely available to the public.

Finally, when it’s time to get back home, make sure that you use the US immigration Department’s Global entry service. It speeds up your entry, and helps you bypass crowded immigration lines. While it costs $100 to apply, the service is worth it.

Andrew Fray travels for business meetings and conferences. He runs a tech company and enjoys sharing with other business minded folk the apps and tech that he uses daily to in his personal life and business.

WELCOME TO GENUINE SUCCESS

You’re in Business for one reason: Success.
Grow your company, reputation, customers, impact, profits. Grow yourself. This is a community that will help. It will stretch your mind, connect you to fascinating people, and provide some fun along the way. I am so glad you’re here.
-Keith O'Sullivan